Vehicle-wheel.



R. H. RICE.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED mus. 9, 1907.

4 Patented Julie 15,1909.

07167750)". fi/mar H IP16; Airy W/mesws: f 1 KM $1 arranged to show the means for strnrns rrinur omen RICHARD H. RICE, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'lO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. Y

VEHIGLE-W'HEEL.

Specification of lLetters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1909.

"Application filed February 9, 1907. Serial No. 356,558

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known'that'l, RICHARD citizen of the'Uni county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful lmrov'ements in Vehicle-Wheels, of which the hollowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to automobile wheels having detachable rims, which rims are constructed and arranged in siicb manner that they are capable of supporting a pneumatic tire in an inflated condition when removed from the wheel, so that in case of accident the rim and tire can be removed as a unit from the wheel and another rim with its inflated tire substituted.

My invention has for its object to improve the construction of automobile Wheels of the ty is referred to.

or a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is called to the'accompanying description. and claims appended thereto.

in the accompanying drawing, which illus trates one of the embodiments of my inven-. tion, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of an automobile wheel Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view showing the means for securing the rim to the spokes; Fig. 3 is an enlarged crosssectional view showing the tire in an inflated condition with the means for uniting the parts of the rim; and Fig. 4 is a similar view securing the H. Ric-n, a ted States, residing at Lynn,

rim to the heads on. the spokes.

.ln carrying out my invention, a hub 1 of suitable construction is provided having as many radial s okes 2 as are necessary. On the end of eaca spoke is a metal head 3 rectangular' in shape and containing an opening to receive the rim-retaining bolts 4. The heads are firmly secured to the spokes and the peri heries of the several heads are beveled sliglltlyin an. axial direction so that the rim will be firmly seated in 'place when the nuts on the clamping bolts 4 are screwed into place. The rim is made of suitable metal and is formed in two parts with a shouldered joint between the parts. The parts of the rim each provided with inwardl extending lugs '7, through which the rim clampins bolts 8 pass: I may use as'many of these bolts as are necessary, As shown, a bolt is provided between each two spokes. The rim opoosite each s oke is provided with a boss 9 evine a surtace of limited area machined to, correspond with the beveled penoted that the surface of each head is ilat and rectangular. This is a superiorv construction for the reason that the parts may be readily machined. It is evident that a beveled surface on the rim cannot be turned in a lathe or boring mill unless the bosses 9 are made separate, but by making the said surfaces flat the rim can be mounted in a .shaper or equivalent machine and finished 1) moving the tool perpendicularly to the p ane ol the rim. Eaci boss is provided Wlth shoulders which engage the head 3 .on

opposite sides so that the driving strains are transmitted directly to the rim, thereby relieving the bolts 4. The rim retaining bolts 4 are provided with beads having extensions or projections 10 that engage with the bosses 9 on the inner surface of the rim. so that when the nuts 11 are screwed into place on the bolts, the rim as a whole will be moved to the left up the incline until it is firmly seated on the heads 3.

The parts of the rim are provided with curved flanges 12 of usual construction to engage the enlarged portion 13 of the outer shoe 14L Located inside of the shoe is an inner t1bef15 of any suitable construction provided with the usual stem and valve for inflating. Owing to the open work construction of the wheel, the stem can be situated between one of the spokes and a rim clamping bolt 8. Between the s okes and heads ample space is afl'orded for t c clam s to prevent the shoe from creeping on t e rim. As shown, eight rim retaining) bolts 4 are provided, one for each spoke, ut it is obvious that the number can be changed if desired.

To remove the tire and rim from the wheel, the nuts 11 on the bolts 4 are taken off and the bolts driven out, after which the rim and tire can be readily removed by forcing them as a unit to the right, Fig. 4. Since the pe riphcral faces of the heads are on a bevel, this is a simple matter. It will be observed that in removing the rim and tire it is un necessary to disturb the rim clamping bolts 8.

By makin joint in the plane of the wheel, the outer shoe can be readily mounted in place or removed from the rim by taking out the rim bolts 8. This results" in a material savingiof time, prevents injury to the shoe or to t e inner tube the rim in two parts with the and also enables relatively unskilled persons lo make the change.

ln accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, 1 have described the princi-- plc of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but

i desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the inventimi can be carried out by other means.

W hat 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,

1. in a wheel, the combination of a hub and hold the tire so that the tire and rim can be removed and applied as a unit, a set of axial bolts which wedge the rim on the peripheral surfaces of the s okes from one side only, and means which re ieve the set of bolts from strains in the lane of the wheel.

2. In a wheel, t re combination of a hub member, spokes radiating therefrom, the pe ripheral surfaces of which are flat and bev eled axially, a divided tire-holding rim which has as many points of support as there are spokes, each point of support being axially beveled to lit the end of the corresponding spoke, inwardly extending lugs on the rim located between the spokes, means extending through the lugs and located between the rim and axis, which unite the arts of the rim, and other means in line witli the spokes for pulling the rim. up the beveled surfaces of the spoke ends and clamping the same in place.

3. In a wheel, the combination of a hub member having a plurality of radial spokes, an individual metal head on each of 'the spokes, the said heads having beveled ,peripheral surfaces, a detachable rim mounted on the heads which is split in the plane of the wheel, both parts thereof being supported by said heads, a tire carried by the rim, a set of bolts for uniting the parts of the rim and holding the tire in place when removing the rim from the wheel, a second set of bolts for drawing the rim to its seat on the beveled surfaces of the heads, and a means on the rim engaging said heads for transmitting torque from the spokes to the rim for preventing independent angular movements of the rim and heads and relieving the second set of bolts of torsional strains.

4. in a wheel, the combination of a hub, spokes secured therein, heads for the spokes, the ends of which are fiat and beveled. in one direction only to form seats, a detachable rim mounted on the seats and split in the plane of the wheel, the inner surface of said rim being beveled for a limited area opposite each head and in one directiononly to fit said seats, shoulders formed on the inner surface of the rim which engage the heads on both sides to transmit power, bolts that pass through the heads and engage the rim to hold the rim and heads against relative axial movement, flanges on the rim, a pneumatic tire held by the flanges, and means independent of said bolts and located between the said heads for uniting the parts of the rim.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of February, 1907.

. RICHARD H. RICE. "itnesses Jens A. MeMANUs, J12, HENRY 0. Vi ns'rnnnanr. 

